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The Department of Physics offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Physics, Space Physics, Computational Physics and Interdisciplinary Studies. Much of the research in the space and atmospheric sciences is conducted through the Geophysical Institute and the International Arctic Research Center (IARC) which provides a wide range of facilities and technical support.

The broad objectives of the Space Physics program are to understand the physical environment from the upper atmosphere to the sun. Our interest in Space Physics stems from the fact that Fairbanks is unique among American cities in that it is located in the auroral zone where the Earth's magnetic field lines provide a view into the outer reaches of the Earth's magnetosphere. Theoretical research in Space Physics focuses on space plasma physics, in which numerical simulation plays a major role. On the experimental side, we are proud to be the only University in the world with its own rocket range. Our own use of the range has been to conduct plasma injection in experiments in space, both as a diagnostic for processes responsible for the aurora and as a means of doing basic plasma physics. We also have a number of experimental projects involving low-light-level imaging and spectroscopic observations of the aurora and airglow. In addition to local observatories, we conduct campaigns in the Antarctic, Greenland and Europe. Another facet of our space physics program is the coordinated analysis of satellite observations, solar data and data from ground-based magnetic observatories. Our work often involves extensive collaboration with scientists from other universities and national and international agencies.

The Arctic Regions Supercomputing Center (ARSC) provides a major tool for research carried out by Physics Department faculty and students. The ARSC operates 128-multi-streaming processor (MSP) Cray X1 with 512 GB of memory and 21 terabytes of disk. The X1, named Klondike, has a theoretical peak performance of 1.6 teraflops (trillion flaoting point operations per second). In addition, the center also supports iceberg, which is comprised of a combination of IBM Power4 p 690+ and p655 servers. The p690+ servers each have 256 gigabytes of memory and the p655+ servers each have 16 gigabytes of memory. The entire system has 25 terabytes of disk and a theoretical peak performance of five teraflops. ARSC resources also include two StorageTek robotic tape silos capable of storing up to a petabyte of data. Supporting equipment for scientific visualization is also available.

Our course offerings include the traditional graduate-level physics courses supplemented by courses in plasma physics, fluid dynamics, radiative transfer, numerical simulation, signal processing, as well as topical courses on aeronomy, and magnetospheric physics. Although our research focus is on our high-latitude location, our graduates have the background in and the versatility to apply their experience to a variety of fundamental and applied problems. They have had good success in finding responsible positions in academic, governmental and industrial settings. The program is rigorous and demanding, but we work in an informal atmosphere and in a spirit of camaraderie.

Research and teaching assistantships are available to graduate students seeking M.S. and PhD degrees in Physics, Computational Physics, and Space Physics at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The minimum compensation for a standard assistantship is $15,284; i.e. half-time (20 hours/week) during the academic year and between $5,630 to $11,261 during the summer depending on the hours agreed upon by your advisor and you. The teaching assistantship is only for the academic year; usually the start date is the third Sunday in August through the second Saturday in May.

After your first academic year in our program, you are expected to be supported by a research assistantship (RA) possibly starting in the summer. It is your responsibility during that academic year to seek a faculty mentor with a research project that interests you. Research assistantships are usually funded from research grants held by individual faculty members. If a professor agrees to serve as your committee chair and he/she have the funds, they will furnish you with a research assistantship both during the summer and the academic year.

Please feel free to call our main office at 907-474-7339, or email us at physics @ uaf.edu if you have any questions.

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